Amanda Shires: A Movie & Some Songs

“Do you know how much they charge for a trained bird, a fish submarine, and a dragon? But seriously, I had been thinking about how to make the video — really — how was I gonna put the song out in a visual way? It was a serendipitous spark of an idea. You can do whatever you want in animation. Animation answered all the questions and solved all of the problems of how to best represent this song visually.

“It was random how I thought of Cory. I think I was eating goldfish crackers and a light bulb went off above my head. I looked up and the light bulb was Cory.

“I don’t know how synapses fire. All I know is that I admire Cory’s work. I felt really strongly that he would be the person to capture the song without it being soft.

“We didn’t talk much about it. I think an artist’s vision is the way to go. I said a few things about darkness and hope, and about the bird, and how I thought the song would tell him where to go. I feel like that’s exactly what happened. There are contrasting elements of innocence and darkness in both his and my work. That’s the thing that drew me to call on him. We are kind of ‘samey’ in the melancholy department.

“I saw little bits and pieces of the work he was doing as we went but not much.

“When it was finished, I felt relieved for both Cory and myself. He spent many hours on it. It’s like making a lemon souffle with raspberry sauce: The whole time it’s cooking you are just thinking maybe I should’ve stuck with regular cupcakes. And then you are ecstatic at the end when there’s no kitchen fire and it tastes great.”

These past few weeks I’ve been partaking in bite-sized pieces this latest work: Slow Trauma by the musician known as Bill Mallonee. The Big Sky Ramblers is the current name of all who record and perform alongside him. These days it is mostly Bill and his kind bride, Muriah Rose. This release – yes I have […]

Excellent intro to the work of Bill Mallonee and and his ever changing but never less than excellent musical cohorts in this thing called: Magic, Life, Pain, Confession and sometimes fleetingly, but ultimately permanent Joy. Oh, and great folk-rock to bring a smile to your face through wit, and road weary wisdom, even if flavored with a […]

Beautiful Christmas music to play as an instrumental backdrop to reading your current book or wrapping presents for a loved one; or simply considering the love and majesty of the one true King. God bless you and may each of you find your true love in the one Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior.Filed under: Music […]

The Ocean Blue are currently celebrating the new vinyl reissues of their three Sire Records albums with a tour where they’re playing their self-titled 1989 debut album and 1991’s Cerulean in full. That tour is in NYC tonight (11/19) for a sold-out show at Mercury Lounge. All tour dates are listed below. We’ve got the […]

hello I feel the same is an album of eleven new songs, available to pre-order now on CD, digital download, or translucent green vinyl. Available for pre-order from iTunes on September 23. Available in your local record shop on October 16. Filed under: Music

Originally released on “Surrounded By Lights” in 2008. Here is the new improved version. This is one of my favorite original songs to date. I just had to make some serious adjustments so this song could be what it was meant to be. Thanks for listening. credits Jesse Sprinkle: Vocals, Guitars, Piano, Drums, and Percussion […]

FREE DOWNLOAD One of Mr. Larry Norman’s songs I really liked. The Jesus Movement of the 70’s held “the Rapture” as a tenet of faith. They were simple, passionate about their faith in Christ’s Resurrection, atonement and Second Coming. I dunno what I think about the doctrine of eschatology anymore as far as a chronology […]

Love this one – truly epic. ADAGIO words/music by: bill mallonee it all showed up fractured it all showed up broke it was never a story more like an unfinished note and the sighs? they were deafening more than pictures could show adagio from WPA 18​/​HEAVEN IN YOUR HEART, released 04 July 2013 Bill: guitars, […]

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Music That Makes a Difference to Me

While carefully and passionately crafted art is highly sought after by this reviewer and music lover, there has to be more, much more to make it special. Music to be lasting and to truly take root must have something deeper. The music by itself or the music with vocals must speak to a longing or a need within me, acknowledged or suppressed.

The music that touches me the deepest is that which speaks of longing, seeking and most important: the revealing and unraveling of one broken life to another.

Hey, we're all a mess and need help from each other and from God. We can't go through this alone; we need the light cast dimly from one another to see the path before us and guide us to the true light.